Sakakku
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Notes: In case you couldn't tell from last chapter, Dark Magician Girl is one of my favorite cards. I just think she's so cool, especially after her duel with Téa in the virtual world. But someone pointed out that her voice sounded so mature compared to her looks- I completely agree. As you'll see, I characterize her as being light and bubbly- except when the Dark Magician is keeping her in line. XD Actually, in the next chapter, she borders on ditzy. But she was fun to write. By the by, I draw my characterization of her from her flashy entrances (my favorite being during Yami's duel with (Yami) Marik) and all the cute little peace signs she makes, all her mannerisms during the duels, etc.
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Chapter 33
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The gloomy recess of the chamber suddenly lit up, bright as day, though Yugi couldn't tell where the light was coming from. He glanced around doubtfully. The Dark Magician's face was tightly drawn, but he was still in the same position as before- carefully supporting the unconscious Yami. His eyes were fixed on the tablet behind Yugi, and the short boy turned his attention back to it.
But it was warmer in here now. A light breeze filtered by, carrying the scent of flowers and ripe fruit. Yugi inhaled, suddenly feeling fuzzy and happy inside.
A girl giggled.
Bubbles floated through his vision, and Yugi spun around. The chamber was filled with them, and dancing red hearts bobbed here and there as well. One landed on the Dark Magician's nose and popped; he now looked more fondly exasperated and amused than annoyed.
The girl giggled again, right in Yugi's ear. He jumped, and turned around.
The Dark Magician Girl grinned cheekily at him, her wand slung casually over her shoulder. She waved her free hand, and more bubbles appeared, landing on Yugi and clinging to his hair. She put a hand to her mouth to stifle a smirk, then flicked some of them off.
Her gaze traveled the corridor until it landed on the Dark Magician and Yami. She instantly became serious, swinging her wand around and composing her face. "Sorry, Master," she murmured demurely.
Yugi's jaw dropped open, and now the Dark Magician gave her a warning look. Her eyes suddenly widened, and she theatrically clapped her hand to her mouth again.
"You can talk?" Yugi stammered. The Dark Magician heaved a sigh.
"Sorry," she apologized, removing her hand and avoiding the Dark Magician's disapproving glare. "We're not supposed to."
"But why?"
"His rules…" she muttered quietly, edging unobtrusively to Yami's side. "Is the Pharaoh okay?"
The Dark Magician finally spoke. "Mana…"
"I said sorry, but there's nothing for it now, is there?" she burst out. "You might as well just tell me."
Her face turned bright red under the Dark Magician's scrutinizing stare. "He fainted," he said finally. "And you should not have come out."
"Yugi called me!" she defended, her face still pink. "And anyway, I can help! I'm a pretty good magician too, you know! You should know. You taught me! Don't you trust me?"
His face was tense. "He is beyond my skill," he mumbled quietly. "He is fighting a mental battle, within himself. There is nothing I can do now but offer guidance."
"Then I'll offer guidance as well," Dark Magician Girl declared boldly, picking up Yami's hand and squeezing it. "He was my Pharaoh too." She said this while looking down, and the Dark Magician sighed, moving his hand to grab her chin and force her gaze up. She squeaked in surprise, and a little fear, and finally blushed brightly again. "I'll go if you want me to, Master…" she muttered resignedly.
"I'd like it if you both stayed," Yugi ventured. They both looked over quickly; he'd been so quiet they'd forgotten he was there.
The Dark Magician sighed. "You are the Pharaoh's partner. Your will shall suffice, in his absence."
"Oh," Yugi said, a little confused. All he really understood was that this was a good thing.
He sat down tentatively next to the duo of magicians, exchanging meaningful glances.
xXx
"C'mon," Joey said, trying to joke around. "Whatever happened to wanting friends?"
Kaiba's eyes widened, then narrowed. He hastily rose to his feet, straightening the trenchcoat he'd stubbornly refused to part with. "I don't need 'friends'," he said scathingly- then abruptly caught sight of Ezra's eyes. Feeling unexpectedly ashamed, he lowered his gaze.
Joey didn't miss a beat. "Fine. But you do need us."
"Need?"
"Yeah." Joey rose now too; he wasn't anywhere near as tall as Kaiba but he tried to look towering anyway. "We've saved your butt more times than I can count. Yugi saved you that first time he dueled you, when he got rid of your darker half." He snorted. "Téa saved you in Duelist Kingdom, when she wouldn't let Yami attack you. He was gonna kill you, ya know." Seto's eyes narrowed further. "Then Yugi saved you again when he battled Pegasus for your soul! Man! Do you have any idea what he put on the line for you? No one thought he would. Heck, Pegasus had that stupid Eye of his and he didn't expect Yugi to stick out his neck like that! And then in that crazy virtual world of yours-"
"I never asked anyone to come after me," Seto growled.
"You didn't need to!" Joey snapped. "Friends don't need to be asked for favors! Friends do it anyway!"
Quiet reigned.
"And, you know, you've saved us too," Joey said quietly, forcing the words out. "I would have died in that virtual world, if it hadn't been for you and Yugi. And you- you saved us again out there, Kaiba. You saved the world. But you know what?
"You used my card to do it.
"We need each other! Why the heck can't you see that? It's not all about you, it's not all about me- it's about what we can do together!
"Ezra saved you. You taught her how to fight. And she used what you taught her to storm this stupid palace and got the Millennium Items to Yugi- one of which you used to free Bakura! It's a circle, you see? A circle of friendship! A circle of people who depend on each other, and can do great things!
"Mokuba told me that Téa saved him. She helped him escape the Rare Hunters, all those years ago. Can you imagine what would have happened if he hadn't been free when Marik and Bakura took over the world? They would have killed him, most likely. Or they would have thrown him in prison with everyone else. And he might've died there, too. And can you imagine what that would have done to you? You probably would have been so devastated, you wouldn't have gone on to fight!
"And what's more,"
"Ah, Joey," Ezra interrupted.
"You're not gonna get out of here unless you ACCEPT that!" he bellowed.
"Joey. He's gone."
"What?" he demanded, scanning the area for the first time. How had he missed Seto go? "You mean he ran away?"
"No, I mean… he's gone." Ezra smiled. "I watched him dissolve."
"Oh." Joey was stumped. "Really?"
"Really really," she said teasingly. "Poor guy. He's been through so much stress. I think he forced himself to go, just so he wouldn't have to stay here."
Joey's eyes shifted around. "That's good, I think. But, aah… how do we get out of here?"
Her brow twitched. "I… don't really know. It just sort of happened, after I watched enough of my old memories. But it's not like any are playing now."
"I got out last time when I kissed…" Joey mused.
She shot him a tolerant look. "Don't even think about it."
Joey blushed. "Naah, don't worry," he said, scratching his neck. "I wasn't."
"Let's go," Seto said, appearing suddenly between them.
"Whaa?" Joey yelped, startled.
"Seto! I thought you got out!" Ezra said worriedly.
"I did. And I talked to everyone else. We've got to go find Yami."
"We what?" Joey demanded. "Since when do you wanna help Yami?"
Seto turned a cold glance on him. "I thought you were the one preaching friendship and helping each other, Wheeler," he snarled, but it lacked his usual edge. "Let's go."
"The others?" Ezra demanded as he set off into the mist, seeming to know where he was going.
"They're coming," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "If they can figure out how. As far as I can tell, they keep bouncing back and forth between sides of this bubble. They look like fools- it's amusing."
"Haha," Ezra muttered, deciding not to mention her own experience.
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"I'm running off to save the Pharaoh," Bakura grumbled as he passed through the Shadows for what felt like the fiftieth time. "I'm running off to save the Pharaoh, and Seto Kaiba is doing a better job at it than me."
"Don't give up," Ryou panted, emerging in frustration next to him.
"I don't give up," he said, offended, shooting him a glare.
"Has anyone seen Serenity lately?" Mai asked, passing through the bubble, breathing heavily. Her forehead was covered in a glossy sheen of sweat.
"We look like those old arcade games," Malik grumbled, charging out of the bubble and skidding to a halt. "Poking our heads up every so often, only to find out that we've been whacked with the hammer. Then we have to do it all over again."
"How do you know about arcade games?" Mai asked curiously. "I thought you lived underground."
He gave her the hairy eyeball. "Thanks, Ms Sensitivity," he grumbled. "I didn't work all the time, you know. I got a motorcycle… went shopping for a cool wardrobe… played a few games at the arcade…"
"Whatever," she sighed. "I think Serenity's in the Shadow-ball, though. I haven't seen her in a while. That's a good sign, right?"
Malik ignored her. "Yeah, the old world was pretty nice… too bad a couple of lunatics had to go and destroy it."
Bakura growled. "It was your idea!" he pointed out petulantly.
"Come on, it was just a hobby for me," Malik scowled. "Besides, if I'd taken over the world, I would have at least kept video games."
Annoyed, Bakura took a swipe at him. Malik jumped back, disappearing into the Shadows. Bakura followed heedlessly.
"Oh dear," Ryou sighed. "I'd better make sure they don't kill each other…" he cautiously entered the Shadow-ball again, but this time was different. It felt like stepping through freezing cold slush. He shivered violently, and opened his eyes to see Geoff and Joey holding Malik and Bakura apart.
"Geez, you guys, it sure took you a while to forget all those sappy lessons you learned," Joey said grouchily.
"I'm in!" Ryou announced, startling himself.
"It's about time," Mai sighed in relief as she entered. She eyed the group. "Is this everyone? Let's go!"
"What about Wheeler's sister?" Bakura asked grumpily, surveying them.
"She was halfway down that tunnel when I got here," Geoff informed them despite Joey's slight scowl, pointing at the narrow black entranceway off to his right. "She was running and shouting for Yugi."
When Bakura snickered, Joey nailed him in the shin with a swift kick. "C'mon! I bet that's the way!"
xXx
When Yami gave a violent jerk in his sleep, Yugi jumped a mile as well.
"What's going on in his head?" he asked worriedly.
The Dark Magician Girl pursed her lips, but didn't say anything, instead deferring to her Master.
"If I knew, perhaps I could help," was all the Dark Magician said.
"Yugi!"
Yugi glanced up, blinking, at the figures crowding in the doorway. Seto Kaiba stood in the front, prominently, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. How unusual.
Flanking him on the right was Ezra, while Serenity peered over her shoulder. Joey, the one who shouted his name, was trying to squeeze past Kaiba on the left, while Mai, Ryou, and Geoff edged in behind him and Malik and Bakura hovered in the background, looking sheepish.
"This stupid place was flooded last I checked," Bakura grumbled, albeit quietly.
"Hey, guys!" Yugi said gladly. "How did you all make it here?"
"Friendship."
Automatically, everyone's head turned to face Seto Kaiba, the surprising declarer of that sentiment. Even the Magicians looked up. Dark Magician Girl, upon catching sight of Seto, wrinkled her nose delicately, while the Dark Magician inexplicably tensed up, shifting his body so he was in between Kaiba and Yami.
"And what a disgusting, sappy thing it is," Seto added wryly, striding forward. Joey shook the shock off and rushed up, falling to the ground in front of Yami.
"What's wrong with him?"
Kaiba tried to move in sight of Yami, too, but the Dark Magician deposited the Pharaoh's head on a surprised Dark Magician Girl's lap and stood up. Kaiba was easily the tallest human there, but the Dark Magician towered over him. Slowly, he brought up his staff and positioned it across his chest, sending across a clear message: You stay away from him.
Seto raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Dark Magician," he grunted. "Yami's card of choice. I always wondered about that, but I guess since the Blue Eyes belong to me, he didn't have much of an opt-"
Dark Magician Girl, scowling, had passed Yami in turn to Yugi, and stood up now, advancing right past her Master and sticking her face in Seto's own, nearly smacking him on the head with her protruding helmet. She was short, but as she walked she levitated herself in the air in order to glare directly into Seto's eyes.
"I never liked those stupid dragons of yours much, Priest," she spoke deliberately. "They were awfully arrogant."
Looking back, Yugi reflected, this was one of things they should have seen coming. They really should have.
Everyone around them sucked in a breath, mostly in surprise that the Dark Magician Girl was capable of speech. Kaiba's eyes narrowed.
And the Blue Eyes got offended.
With an ominous rumble, they disobeyed their master for the first time in history and Summoned themselves, the three dragons crowding everyone else to the corners of the cramped room.